Connections through Christ

Focus Statement: When we are broken, grieving and afraid, in Christ, God's compassion embraces us.

Envision with me…. a barren brown area by the iron gate, a grief stricken mother, the son's body wrapped tightly on a stretcher, pallbearers solemnly marching, and the community following in procession.

Slowly they leave the lush greenness of the village and head up a rocky road to the gate that leads them out to the burial grounds. As they approach the gate to exit the village, they encounter a lively group with a leader meandering aimlessly toward the little unknown village. As all arrive at the gate of the village, the leader of the group realizes they are witnessing a local funeral procession.

The leader crosses over to the other side of the procession. With one look, he sees grief, fear, and brokenness in the woman nearest the bier. His eyes convey a strong sense of compassion, a look so strong that it appears to embrace her. He asks her not to weep, touches the bier and everything comes to a stop.

Then with authority, he commands the dead son to rise. The moment the words leave the leader's mouth it is as if they enter the young man's corpse. This strange man speaks with the corpse almost as if he were God. Then, with the whole community looking on, he gives the son, full of words and life, back to his mother.

The community of mourners must be scared! Who is this man? What will happen next?

According to Webster, the definition of the verb embrace is "to hug; to cherish, to love, to welcome, to encircle, to encompass, to enclose."

In preparing for ministry, we are required to attend and participate in the Boundaries Workshop. There we are reminded to be aware of physical embraces and their impact on relationships. I wonder if Jesus went to a Boundaries Workshop? How was he able to express his compassion for the woman without a physical embrace? I imagine that his face looked caringly at the woman and his eyes filled with love. And that his compassion was like a cloud, encircling her in its warmth and love.

I was reminded recently of the power of an embrace. During the first big snowfall in December, my husband fell off a ladder – my daughters declared Daddy to be "broken". Indeed, he bruised his ribs, sprained his back and neck. After four weeks of recuperation, he felt better and was able to move around a little. In my enthusiasm, I hugged him. Yep, the minute I started to hug him, I felt him recoil in pain. But he said that even in his physical pain, just the idea of a hug felt good.

But people aren't just physically broken. Many times one who appears to be "together" on the outside is broken inside. Perhaps yearning for that elusive warmth of love from someone. Or living with depression or addiction. I wonder if we met the woman from Nain on another day, would we sense her brokenness?

Last year we left our home congregations to begin our service at MIC sites. Soon we will be leaving these congregations that we have grown to care for, to cherish, to love. The leaving and grieving process will begin again as we continue to our internship sites.

Along with grieving the loss of these relationships, there is an element of fear. What lies ahead for us? Fear of the unknown is said to be the greatest fear of all… (even above public speaking!) Much like the woman of Nain, we wonder what our future holds on our journey to ordained ministry. Where will we live? What challenges and joys lie ahead for us? Where will we serve?

As we know, the strange man who lead the lively group towards Nain was in fact, Jesus. We know this man as the Messiah, the son of God. Jesus knew that a woman without a husband or son to support her would be considered to be at the bottom of the economic community. This woman was moments away from entering another world where her human worth would change drastically. The compassionate look from Jesus encircled and loved her into a second chance at life. And he didn't stop there – he delivered her son back to her arms to publicly restore her place in the community.

His life of ministry was about compassionate relationships with this world. He often met death at the gate and through God's grace, allowed others to experience life on the other side. Jesus himself was the bridge between two worlds and his life was dedicated to being that relationship for us.

It is through Jesus that God commands us to rise and speak and uphold our baptismal covenant. Through his life, death and resurrection, Jesus Christ offers us Life.

Jesus Christ embraces us when we are in despair, pain and suffering. We will find him in the waters of baptism and in the bread and wine of the Table. Jesus comes to us in the midst of our pain and despair, even when we are not looking for Jesus; he is there for us. Reaching out, healing, forgiving, restoring us. It is precisely because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross that we too are raised to new life in Christ Jesus.

The good news is that we are embraced by God's compassion. Whether we are broken inside or outside, Christ lived so that we might experience the healing love of God. As we move from junior year to MIC site to intern site to seminary and onto ministry, God's son lived so that we might know the comfort of God's love. Jesus lived so that we might know the hope that God gives us. Hope for a better life, hope for a better world, hope for a better tomorrow.

For when we are broken, grieving and afraid, it is in Christ that God's compassion embraces us.